djmcintyre

djmcintyre_71@hotmail.com

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

I Search Why & What

Why I chose my topic:

My topic was chosen for a couple of reasons. A dear friend
of mine has been battling with depression for more than 15
years. It controls every aspect of her life. Her children have
grown up in a house of despair. Now their home is full of
depression. Her husband and son also suffer with the disease.
There eating habits are the same. High fat, processed foods
from a package or fast-food is what they eat most days of
the week. Vegetables and fruits are never seen in their
home. They are overweight and do not exercise. Rather
than work at improving their health, they say they would
rather just take pills on a daily basis.

There was a time in my life when it was hard to focus on the
positive. I was so unhappy, tired and down on life, even
though I had nothing to complain about. My weight was at
an all-time high. I had more health problems than anyone in
there twenties should have. I either starved myself or
over-indulged on high-fat foods. Looking back I realize that
my poor eating habits contributed to a snowball effect of
poor health and poor mental stability. So this topic was
chosen not only because of wanting to help friends and
family who suffer and can be helped, but also because I
know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle change through
my personal experiences.

Questions I would like to find the answers to:

1. Can food cause depression?
  • What types of foods cause the symptoms?
  • What types of foods help prevent these symptoms?

2. Can the depression be reversed if diet is altered?

3. Does physical inactivity play a role in depression?

  • If so, why?

4. Can it help reverse the symptoms if activity is added

to ones daily activities?

What I know about this subject before research:


Looking back at both situations explained above, I truly believe diet plays a major role in our lives. Our bodies need certain amounts and varieties of nutrients in order to function properly. Without good balance, our bodies are affected in different ways; weight, mood, energy level,
to name a few. I know from personal experience when I eat a well-balanced, low-fat "clean" diet, my energy level is high, I feel great and I am completely happy and content with my life even on the worst of days. I also know from personal experience when I eat a poor diet, I don't have enough energy to make it through my day, I am very moody and feel like I can't handle even the smallest amount of stress or chaos that comes my way. I hope to find more depth to what I already know. I hope to find out what types of foods and which varieties help promote healthier happier lives. I hope I find that certain types of depression can be improved with the help of a proper diet and exercise. And that pills are not the answer for everyone. They are suitable maybe to jump start someone on the way to recovery, but I feel should not be an alternative to fixing the real problem.



1 Comments:

  • At October 18, 2007 at 9:36 AM , Blogger johngoldfine said...

    Deb--in the why, as part of why you chose this topic, should be a specific lists of questions you want to find answers to.

    Take a look at the what section--you're dealing with ideas which you can easily turn into questions.

    For example, "I hope I find that I am
    correct, in that some people's depression can be improved
    with the help of a proper diet and exercise."

    becomes: "Can depression be improved with diet? With exercise?"

     

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